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Sabrina Little

@sabrinablittle.bsky.social
1K followers 81 following 264 posts

Ethics & Moral Psychology. Trail & Ultra Runner. 5x National Champion. World Silver Medalist. Author of The Examined Run (OUP 2024). sabrinalittle.com

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Reposted by Sabrina Little
Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
❝Difficulty is not always a problem to be solved or mitigated. Just because you can reduce friction in your life does not mean that you should […]. — @sabrinablittle.bsky.social www.irunfar.com/what-is-so-s... #running #trailrunning #ultrarunning #runsky
irunfar.com
What Is So Special About Sports?
Sabrina Little writes about how sports can help us resist passivity culture.
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Reposted by Sabrina Little
Henry Howard @henryhoward.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
"In sports, you can’t outsource efforts to AI. You have to take every step yourself. ... Sports invite participants to be transformed by difficulty. This is an important opportunity in a culture that resists meaningful work." — @sabrinablittle.bsky.social via iRunFar www.irunfar.com/what-is-so-s...
irunfar.com
What Is So Special About Sports?
Sabrina Little writes about how sports can help us resist passivity culture.
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Listening to my 1st grader's joyful account of racing in the gym class 1-K run, beating her rivals, which is funny because my own 1st grade running rivalry was so formative for me that it appeared in my book. So fun. I hope she is a more gracious winner & loser than I was.
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Sports can form you for good or for ill. A couple of months ago, I participated in a forum through Common Good Magazine about moral formation and deformation in sports alongside some really excellent thinkers. Link for our discussion: commongoodmag.com/they-say-spo...
commongoodmag.com
They Say Sports Builds Character | Common Good Magazine
We discuss the relative formative and deformative aspects of sports on those who play, parent, and watch, to answer: Is it true sports builds character?
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Reposted by Sabrina Little
Henry Howard @henryhoward.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
As a writer, I co-sign. "Running supports my academic work, particularly my writing. ... Movement is such a big part of the writing process for so many of my friends that I think Office Depot should sell sneakers alongside paper." — @sabrinablittle.bsky.social www.irunfar.com/on-running-a...
irunfar.com
On Running and Writing
Sabrina Little reflects on how her running and writing go hand in hand.
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
New column: Running 🤝 Writing www.irunfar.com/on-running-a...
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
My first by-line in Psyche: psyche.co/ideas/someti...
psyche.co
Sometimes, the road to virtue comes by way of vice | Psyche Ideas
To work your character into better shape, be like a carpenter who fixes warped wood by bending it the opposite way
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
What do you mean incoming students graduate in 2030?
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Reposted by Sabrina Little
Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
❝[W]we might wonder whether the virtues acquired in sports will impact character outside of sports at all. — @sabrinablittle.bsky.social www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cons... #running #trailrunning #ultrarunning #runsky
psychologytoday.com
Will Sports Prepare Me for Life?
The problem of virtue translation has significant implications for whether sports are a tenable strategy for character development.
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
"Will Sports Prepare Me for Life?" - New post on Psychology Today. This is a brief, public-facing version of some new research. Link: www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cons...
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Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
2/2 ❝We will never know, though, because this is not a testable hypothesis. The runners won’t stay home. — @sabrinablittle.bsky.social www.irunfar.com/welcome-to-r... If you’re new to #running, I would also suggest you follow Sabrina’s writing. Like, all of it. #trailrunning #ultrarunning #runsky
irunfar.com
Welcome to Running
Sabrina Little offers advice for the new runner.
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Welcome to Running - new column www.irunfar.com/welcome-to-r...
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
I wrote about the pursuit of happiness for America's 250th. www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cons...
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Henry Howard @henryhoward.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
"I do not imagine my racing will be particularly good. I have limited time to train ... But I can return to racing within my current constraints and do my best in this weird phase of life. I'm super excited to race again." — Another gem via @sabrinablittle.bsky.social www.irunfar.com/why-i-need-t...
irunfar.com
Why I Need to Race
Sabrina Little talks about why she wants to return to racing under the constraints of being a mom of three.
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
New column: Why Racing Matters (even when it may not go well) Link: www.irunfar.com/why-i-need-t...
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Reposted by Sabrina Little
Yu Kanazawa @knzw783.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
#resilience, #integrity, #magnanimity, #sophrosyne, #intellectual #autonomy 🔓 Little, S. B. (2026). Emergent virtues: Assessing a class of virtues. Philosophical Psychology. Advance online publication. doi.org/10.1080/0951...
doi.org
Emergent virtues: assessing a class of virtues
On neo-Aristotelian accounts, moral virtues are often defined as dispositional traits to think, act, and feel in excellent ways, relevant to the virtue. However, not all moral virtues are dispositi...
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Reposted by Sabrina Little
Christian B. Miller @charactergap.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
"In all five cases, they’re all honesty crises because of two features: dishonesty in all these cases is becoming more tempting than it was before and harder to detect." Excited to share this interview with Literary Hub and Fiction/Non/Fiction. @literaryhub.bsky.social
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Henry Howard @henryhoward.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
👉 "Clean sport is worth protecting. Because if running is not clean, then what is the point?" 💯 Absolutely agree with @sabrinablittle.bsky.social on this. www.irunfar.com/the-ethics-o... #runchat
irunfar.com
The Ethics of the Non-Professional Runner
Sabrina Little writes about why clean sport matters for professionals and non-professionals alike.
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
I made the case for consistent doping norms across professional and non-professional running this month for iRunFar. How do we enforce these norms? Good question. Link: www.irunfar.com/the-ethics-o...
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
My travel personality is arriving at the airport 2.5 hours before every flight with a meal packed.
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
I appeared on the Whitworth Flourishing Podcast to discuss character and sports. They asked some really interesting questions about how emotions pertain to virtue, and about whether we have complete agency with respect to changing our emotions. (We don't.) www.podbean.com/media/share/...
podbean.com
Sabrina Little
In this episode, philosopher and ultramarathon runner Sabrina Little discusses the concepts of moral psychology and virtue ethics while emphasizing the value of emotions, community, self-regulation, a...
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Reposted by Sabrina Little
Aeon Magazine @aeon.co · 30/04/2026
Two radically different training philosophies have come to dominate running: the precision-engineered ‘Norwegian Method’ and the group-based training styles embraced by many East African runners. Recent results speak for themselves: the more social, embodied approach is winning out
buff.ly
What Ethiopian running says about the limits of human ability | Aeon Essays
One school of training is highly personalised, technical and data-driven. The other is the one that wins marathons
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Emergent virtues: assessing a class of virtues New article available open-access ⬇️ www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
Emergent virtues: assessing a class of virtues
On neo-Aristotelian accounts, moral virtues are often defined as dispositional traits to think, act, and feel in excellent ways, relevant to the virtue. However, not all moral virtues are dispositi...
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Reposted by Sabrina Little
Josh Habgood-Coote @impractknow.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
This is sick, on quantificational (Norwegian) and community-based (Ethiopian) approaches to endurance training aeon.co/essays/what-...
aeon.co
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
Me: Sebastian Sawe just broke two hours in the marathon. 3-year-old: Oh, Mommy. I'm sorry your friend broke something.
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Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
❝I may never be able to emulate the smooth stride of Sharon Lokedi over the final miles of a #marathon or the raw speed of Zouhair Talbi, but I can emulate their perseverance, humility, resilience, or courage. — @sabrinablittle.bsky.social www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cons... #running #runsky
psychologytoday.com
You Were Inspired by the Boston Marathon. Now What?
Following a big sporting event, it can be easy to walk away unchanged. Or we can recognize that excellence makes a claim on us and decide to become better.
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Big sporting events like the Boston Marathon are exciting. A lot of attention is drawn to the event. We see excellence on display and admire it. But then the day passes. The enthusiasm fades, and we carry on with our lives unchanged. — New column: www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cons...
psychologytoday.com
You Were Inspired by the Boston Marathon. Now What?
Following a big sporting event, it can be easy to walk away unchanged. Or we can recognize that excellence makes a claim on us and decide to become better.
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
Every time I take a break from running and then resume the activity, I remember why people say that running is hard. It is because running is hard. —— New column on Psychology Today! It’s about why sports are effective for character development. www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cons...
psychologytoday.com
Using Sports to Develop Good Character
It is not a foregone conclusion that we are training our attention, actions, and affections in the right ways in sports. It is important to examine how sports are forming us.
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
What we cultivate grows. I wrote about ultrarunning culture for iRunFar. www.irunfar.com/ultrarunning...
irunfar.com
Ultrarunning Culture
Sabrina Little writes about cultivating running culture.
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
I am sharing an office with my husband for the first time and just learned that I speak under my breath when I'm thinking through an idea. Who knew? I didn't.
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
This semester, I was added as an OSU Sports and Society Initiative (SSI) affiliate. They wrote about my work here: sportsandsociety.osu.edu/news/ultrama...
sportsandsociety.osu.edu
From Ultramarathons to Moral Questions: New SSI Affiliate Sabrina Little Brings Philosophy of Sport to Ohio State
For seven years, Sabrina Little tested the limits of human endurance — setting American records and winning world championships in ultrarunning.Now, the philosopher and author is examining a different...
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
I reviewed Linda Zagzebski's excellent new book, Omnisubjectivity, for NDPR. ndpr.nd.edu/reviews/omni...
ndpr.nd.edu
Omnisubjectivity: An Essay on God and Subjectivity
Does God know my present joy, as it is experienced by me in all of my creaturely constraints? In Omnisubjectivity, Linda Zagzebski answers in the a...
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Reposted by Sabrina Little
Henry Howard @henryhoward.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
"In the same way that you do not have to wash soap because it is self-cleansing, maybe you don’t have to worry about pride in a sport that humbles you at every turn." — @sabrinablittle.bsky.social www.irunfar.com/what-pride-f... #runchat
irunfar.com
What Pride Forgets
Sabrina Little examines the pitfalls of pride in running and in life.
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Reposted by Sabrina Little
Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
Thoughtful and thought-provoking as always. ❝There is a lot of learning and unlearning that occurs over the course of a long running life. — @sabrinablittle.bsky.social www.irunfar.com/what-pride-f... #running #trailrunning #ultrarunning #runsky
irunfar.com
What Pride Forgets
Sabrina Little examines the pitfalls of pride in running and in life.
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
What Pride Forgets. My new column is up. www.irunfar.com/what-pride-f...
irunfar.com
What Pride Forgets
Sabrina Little examines the pitfalls of pride in running and in life.
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
The 50K World Champs took place today in New Dehli, India with an AQI of 178 at the start and temps near 70 degrees F. My lungs hurt just thinking about that. www.irunfar.com/2025-iau-50k...
irunfar.com
2026 IAU 50k World Championships Results: British Sweep for Alex Milne and Naomi Robinson
Alex Milne and Naomi Robinson of Great Britain overcame heat and poor air quality to win the 2026 IAU 50k World Championships.
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Reposted by Sabrina Little
Henry Howard @henryhoward.bsky.social · 22/02/2026
C'mon all the cool kids are doing it. The latest from @sabrinablittle.bsky.social. www.irunfar.com/an-invitatio... #runchat
irunfar.com
An Invitation to the Pain of Running
Sabrina Little writes about running in the cold, and why it's important to embrace difficulty.
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Reposted by Sabrina Little
Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
❝The point is, not all efforts or pains are the same. While running involves pains of various sorts, the goal is not to uncritically embrace all pain for its own sake. — @sabrinablittle.bsky.social www.irunfar.com/an-invitatio... #running #trailrunning #ultrarunning #runsky
irunfar.com
An Invitation to the Pain of Running
Sabrina Little writes about running in the cold, and why it's important to embrace difficulty.
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Reposted by Sabrina Little
Edward “Ned” Abbott @ewabbott.com · 19/02/2026
I have been working on a bunch of things but I keep coming back to this article from Sabrina Little. Even if you are NOT a runner, I suggest you give it your time and attention.
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
No pain, no gain? Absolutely not. New column: www.irunfar.com/an-invitatio...
irunfar.com
An Invitation to the Pain of Running
Sabrina Little writes about running in the cold, and why it's important to embrace difficulty.
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
Character matters.
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
Listening to Olympic commentators discuss fear and risks, figuring out what risks are worth undertaking, etc. This is like catnip for a virtue ethicist. I am having the time of my life over here.
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Mentioning the existence of Olympic ice luge and the Iditarod repeatedly in casual conversations to convince my family that ultrarunning is a reasonable hobby.
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
Back in my day, the first track meets of the year were for rust-busters, not world records.
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Henry Howard @henryhoward.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
"Alongside running, classical texts have been a critical source of edification in my life. These four books have shaped me a great deal. They teach me about what it means to be human, and they have special relevance for runners." — @sabrinablittle.bsky.social www.irunfar.com/classical-te... #runchat
irunfar.com
Classical Texts for Running and Life
Sabrina Little shares her favorite philosophical texts and how they apply to running and life.
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Edward “Ned” Abbott @ewabbott.com · 21/01/2026
This is a great list. Also buy Little’s book “The Examined Run” if you are a runner, a thinker, someone who does both or neither. It’s valuable because it provides insight into your why regardless of your how.
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
Your own misadventures may seem trivial once you read about Odysseus’ 10-year trek home full of unanticipated obstacles. These include a cave nap with a Cyclops and a steep, mid-race descent into actual hell. New column! Great Texts…for Runners. www.irunfar.com/classical-te...
irunfar.com
Classical Texts for Running and Life
Sabrina Little shares her favorite philosophical texts and how they apply to running and life.
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
Things sure do feel politically hopeless at the moment.
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
If you go for a short run, remember to budget enough time for after the run for when your toddler greets you with hugs and tears like you have been lost at sea for 40 years.
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Sabrina Little @sabrinablittle.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
It has taken a while and I have a few R&Rs to squash before I make real progress, but I am finally scheming up my next book project and am so excited.
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